Faiths Act

The abyss beyond one’s comfort zone can be a scary place - a place of the unknown, the unfamiliar and the uncomfortable. That’s certainly how it felt for Riz and me last weekend.  As we were driven further and further from London, away from bright city lights, friends and family, we found sheep rather than skyscrapers dominating the north of Wales.

Don’t get me wrong, to say the Welsh countryside is stunningly beautiful would be an understatement. With the rugged valleys, vibrant green landscapes hugging clear and the fresh lakes, every glance could inspire another oil painting. But we weren’t there to take photos from the minibus.  

Our challenge was to conquer Mount Snowdon, the tallest of all the mountains in Wales. Now, I realise that to the more athletic among us, a climb to the height of 1,085 m or 3,560 ft might seem like an easy day out. However, neither Riz nor I make a frequent habit of trekking, nor the associated camping.

Despite our lack expertise in the area, we were inspired to do this in aid of Proshanti’s maternal healthcare initiative. Having bugged and begged friends and family for weeks prior to the challenge, the sponsorship cash ended up totalling a handsome £590 between the two of us. Altogether, the £1,500 raised on behalf of the whole group will fund a two day health camp in a rural area of Bangladesh.

Even with this in mind, camping in a wet and windy field was accompanied by much grumbling from the two of us:

”There’s no phone reception… I can’t get on BBM..!” (Riz)

“I need coffee and croissants!”  (Anthony)

“My tent is wet!” (Everyone)

Having survived both mountain and campsite, it did get me thinking. stepping outside of your comfort zone can be quite gratifying. If we hadn’t, we wouldn’t have experienced the stunning serenity of Snowdonia, nor felt the sense of accomplishment that one feels atop a mountain.  

Similarly, interfaith work can be a massive challenge, full of obstacles and, occasionally, uncomfortable moments. For this reason, it’s often tempting to shy away from engaging with the ‘other’. But, as I hope we’ll demonstrate throughout this year, the rewards generated from taking that challenge can be great, and possibly life changing.

Anthony Silkoff and Rizwan Hussain, Faiths Act Fellows